1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to computer application programs and in particular to graphical user interface (GUI) applications. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and system for efficiently adjusting a timeline in a time window of a GUI.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer application programs often use a graphical user interface (GUI) to provide output data to a user in a graphical format, such as a chart or table that may include data from a pre-defined time period (i.e., a timeline). Application programs may also enable a user to define a beginning and an end of a timeline within a GUI. For example, a user who is analyzing the performance of a stock may select a start date and an end date of a period in which to display the stock price in a chart or table. Similarly, a user who is making travel reservations may select a departure and a return date and time. A user who is analyzing performance metrics in a database system also typically uses a GUI to select a start and an end of a period of data that an application program subsequently displays in a chart.
An application that enables users to select the start and end of a time window in a quick and easy manner can improve user productivity and satisfaction. However, conventional applications require numerous (e.g., a dozen or more) keystrokes and/or mouse clicks to completely define both the start and end of a time window. As the number of keystrokes and/or mouse clicks required to define a time window increases, the efficiency of the process decreases and the possibility of a data entry error occurring increases.